Temporary Disk Space for Workflow Environment

IanBD

This guide provides instructions on configuring and managing temporary resources on both the client and server sides.

Client-Side Configuration

Results Cache

The results cache on the client side is a vital component managed through Preferences > Altair > Workflow > Temporary Resources. This cache stores intermediate results.

Time to Live (TTL) and Expiry Check Frequency

Both client-side and server-side caches adhere to expiry settings configured in Preferences > Altair > Workflow > Temporary Resources. By default, the time to live is set to 30 days. TTL days are measured in calendar days. For example, if set to 30 days, files older than 30 calendar days will be deleted during the process's check for expired files.

When the Workflow engine starts, it automatically removes files in the user's workflow intermediate files directory (on the server side) and the results cache (on the client side) that exceed this time limit. A recent update has improved this process to check for expired content every 12 hours on the default engine, rather than only on engine restart, please note that this frequency is currently not configurable by the user.

Server-Side Configuration

On the server side, "intermediate files" are managed through Workflow Link Explorer > SERVERNAME > Properties, where SERVERNAME can be 'Local,' 'Hub,' or another identifier. The default directory for workflow intermediate files on a remote Linux server is usually set to /home/${userId}/workflowIntermediateFiles/. In the case of Hub usage, this configuration can be adjusted within Execution Profiles.

Work Library Management

The work library for the Altair SLC engine is typically cleared at the end of the session by restarting the server. Users can explicitly remove datasets using the DELETE statement in the SQL procedure or the DATASETS procedure. The WORKTERM system option controls the cleanup process, with options like WORKTERM = 'delete files at the end of the session' and NOWORKTERM, which leaves files in place. Additionally, WORKINIT (and NOWORKINIT) can be used to perform deletion on engine startup. It is crucial for users to understand and manage these options to control the cleanup behaviour of the temporary Work library.

Directory Configuration

The default directory for Workflow intermediate files on a remote Linux server is /home/${userId}/workflowIntermediateFiles/. Users can customize this directory to accommodate larger datasets during workflow execution.

Clear Temporary Resources Button

The Clear Temporary Resources button has been recently enhanced to remove not only temporary resources created by the workbench but also delete files copied during the import of local files with remote (default) engines. Users should exercise caution, as this button will remove any .wpd file in the chosen temporary location. It is advisable to review and avoid having both engine and Workflow temporary locations set to the same folder to prevent unintended removal of files, including those created by Workflows or the Altair SLC engine.